Robert Reich argues that Alan Greenspan bears primary responsibility for the 2008 financial crisis, citing his push for financial deregulation and opposition to derivatives oversight. Greenspan's regulatory decisions did contribute to conditions that enabled the crash — that's widely acknowledged. But economists across the board reject the idea that any single person was solely responsible for what was a systemic collapse. The crisis involved many actors: mortgage lenders, banks, rating agencies, regulators, global capital flows, and structural market failures. What's worth knowing: This is opinion framed as opinion, not news. Reich's focus on Greenspan's role is mainstream among progressive economists, but most economists — even those who criticize Greenspan — point to multiple causes and institutional failures rather than treating deregulation alone as the primary driver.